I’ve watched a few YouTube clips and read a couple of reviews on their drying efficiency. While one experiment claims regular stacking is more efficient one cannot argue that a Holz Hausen is more aesthetically pleasing. So I’m going to make a start on one probably at the weekend.

I’ve got a lot of wood that needs splitting and a space that I can’t fill until it’s empty so it’s a good opportunity to give it a go.

Stay tuned.

is it just randomly filled inside the circular walls or is it as carefully laid out as well?

The outside ring is neatly stacked angled inwards, the centre should be stacked with the logs vertically. They suggest stacking bark down to aid drying inside and bark up on top to repel water.

bet the roof is a faff to do.

I will try and taper the sides in gradually so the roof will be less of a faff than in the illustration. It may be a stronger structure that way too. I’ve seen folks put a tarp under the top layer, but I think that may compromise the chimney drying effect.

*adds thread to favourites to check back soon*

Woodpile by Metal-Chicken, on Flickr

Nearly the same…….. no? 8)

My first attempt may not be much better 😀

Seen a similar thing done with sawn(spelling) pallets for burning. Made what was a mess look to good to burn.

I’m liking the dingy + crate idea.

I’m liking the dingy + crate idea.

The only problem is that when I build a proper log store I’m going to have to finally chuck the boat away somehow!

Can you not get electric round your way?

🙂

Made one over the Xmas holidays

should be just about ready by this Xmas. actually a bit higher than this photo about 175cm

Nice one IamSam.

How big was the diameter of the base? How many cubic metres of wood do you reckon it took?

I’m just about to start, the trailer holds about two and a bit cubic metres, I’m guessing a minimum of three loads.

CHEERS,

we were very proud of it, my dads still sending out pictures of it, has shrunk a fair bit though now, one of the reasons we did the sloping sides.

difficult to say how much wood went in as we got all the timber as rough cut lengths, it was four van loads though so a lot of wood. there was one dumpy bag full of sawdust after I’d cut it all up. Bases diameter is probably pretty close to 3m.

Also we didn’t really have any system for filling the inside went for the random approach again this was to try and accommodate the shrinkage and not loose any of its structural strength.

hope this helps

Sam.

We made a start in the face of a hurricane.

The ring diameter is 8 feet. The ring is laid to pitch the layers of logs inwards to prevent bulging and collapse. Logs are stacked bark side down to aid drying. The walls taper in to add strength. The core needs to be solidly stacked too to hold up once there is mire weight on top and shrinkage due to drying. It should end up about seven feet high. The walls should taper more visibly once I get a little higher. Final shape will be like a walnut whip.

Interesting post.

Wonder how quick the wood drys compared to other ways of storing wood.

Mc, will the rain that falls on the outer wall not just run into the stack with stack slopping that way?

Have a load of Oak and Ash ready to split stuck in a boggy spinney, so would be neat if I could stack it like this.

Time to Google Holz Hausen I think 😉

Ski

There is a lot of contradictory information about drying. My guess is that if it didn’t work the first time no one would bother to ever build a second. The stacking is fairly open, so the wind that usually follows rain will help it to dry. A YouTube clip showed how far (about four inches) the rain penetrated immediately after a shower.

I think a stack should stand for at least a couple of years to dry properly. I’m not certain the web tests I read were that long.

If the logs slope outwards there is more chance of the pile collapsing. It can’t collapse inwards.

It’s easily as quick to build as an ordinary stack. An extra pair of hands helps when you are in the middle stacking though. Thanks mum.

I thought the Op had gone on a rampage and was dismembering Huf Haus’s

Keep us posted as to how it goes Mc, but looking good so far.

[edit] this has made some interesting reading so far

http://soede.net/soede/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=485&Itemid=29

I could be stacked a lot more neatly, but I’m trying to keep the bark side down which doesn’t allow the tightest building. Also, I cut many of the logs a bit shorter than I would normally as they are destined for the smaller fire box of the studio stove.

I will hunt through the wood pile for bigger rings to split for further up the stack.

EDIT, Ski, I read that link too.

Any updates MC?

Have you finished it?

I will get back to it today, I’ve been away working.

With stacking directly onto the damp floor won’t that encourage rot, surprised they haven’t left some “venting/ draft” point on the lower like on a charcoal burner oven

I don’t get it to be honest – why is this different to a pile of logs (other than it looks nicer)?

Combining some of my dry stone walling expertise, the lean-in is for the stability and the fill is there to support it (and use up the ugly pieces).
In terms of drying firewood, would have probably opted for some sort of base to raise it off the ground, one of the pics shows what looks like a stone base. Also, in our big sheds, we have had less ‘sweat’ issues with logs slung in rather than carefully stacked as airflow is improved.
Maybe incorporating ‘hogg holes’ would help air the stack further?

I did think about stacking it upon pallets, but they are so damn ugly. The woodshed alongside has no rainwater gutters so waters shoots straight off the roof into the ground. A day or so after heavy rain the ground is fairly dry. The logs a foot or so from the splash zone are still pretty dry too.

When the grass and greenery returns in summer I’d like to strim up to the base, I think that will look nice. A bit like a wooden broch.

I starting building it because I was intrigued by the challenge.if the drying is compromised I will decant it all into the first free undercover space I have.

Out of curiosity, what percentage of your time is spent acquiring, chopping, stacking firewood?

From your posts it seems like a fairly high percentage!

Axetrackworld.

Looks like a Fiskars axe sticking out of the pile near the top of the page 🙂

Most likely get one of them if/when old faithful breaks. Must polish it and check it over, slight wobble on the head.

Don’t have a garden to stack wood 🙁

Out of curiosity, what percentage of your time is spent acquiring, chopping, stacking firewood?

From your posts it seems like a fairly high percentage!

I’m not sure. I usually do it when I have some time on my hands. Collecting wood is the most time consuming part. I can split and stack a load in a couple of hours. I enjoy it as a winter pursuit when there’s not much to do in the garden. It might add up to a two or three weeks a year.

A bit like a wooden broch.

the words of an artist 😀

A pedantic point but Holz Hausen is plural of Holz Haus. If you’ve only got one then it’s a Holz Haus. Should actually be written as one word: Holzhaus(en)

Looks great by the way. I might try building one but it would need to be on a slope so there would be additional challenges.

It’s a bit wild in places but it’s up. The first big wind will determine if it’s fit to survive. The pitch of the logs switched about a couple of feet from the top, they’ll either shed the water or slide off.

If nothing else it was a great way to spend a lovely sunny spring afternoon.

That sir is art ! It would be desecration to burn it 😀

fancy a game of weird Jenga?

It’s a bit wild in places but it’s up.

It’s really weird the way you decide to do something and then just do it.

What about the months of faffing around and procrastinating first? What the hell is wrong with you?

That looks ace MC, good work sir.

Got a week off work next week, so might just give one a go with a coppice I chop in 😉

Grum, this was the perfect mcmoonter project. Something I’ve seen elsewhere but never knowing how it was built. Once I saw a few pics of the process I thought, I could do that. It was good that I had the surplus wood here already in rings and just needing split. That doesnt take long with the hydraulic splitter.

I like a project that I can do quickly before I become overwhelmed, bored or broke.

Ski, give it a go. If you use longer lengths, I’d suggest making the base 10 feet in diameter. That way the logs can be closer together at the outside. You could make a two rings before you fill the centre. You can brace it width ways every three feet and keep the walls parallel to the top.

I’d worry about kids torching it if they found it out in the wilds though.

Post up some pics when you build it. I might try a second too.

it’s making me hungry

You brilliant weirdo- cheers!